Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-08-13
bLACk THURSDAY.
REIGN OF UNREASON AND
TREASON IN NEW YORK.
TIE Rise Of The Labor Party The Rad.
ical Element -AckncN lodged nt
First Then Rcpudiatcd
aud Exc0mmunicatcd
by RiugStrrS.

The eyes of the Labor world have
been fixed upon New York ever since
the memorable day last November,
when the United Labor Party polled
GS, 600 votes for its candidate for
mayor, which glorious result planted
now hope in the breasts of the toll
ors of America. Since then there
had been no cessation in the agita-
ton, and the various assembly dis
tricts of the great city have been or
gani2ed upon what was considered n
sound basis, and regular meetings
have been held in each district for
purposes of discussion and more per-
feet organization. The original
platform has been changed twice;
once before the election and once
after The first platform was truly
d labor platform, and received the
endorsement of Organized Labor
represented by the various unions.
Then came the nomination of Henry
George for mayor, and the pledging
of forty thousand votes by the work
mgmcn. The enthusiasm grew. and
the person Of George was & gorllied.
Seeing the enthusiasm wax greater
day by day, it was easy to issue n
document that. on the oyeof election
could not well be soberly discussed.
That document, by the artful pre-
sentation Of "glittering gcnoralities'
was easily substituted for the orIgl-
nal platform, and the only ones who
pierced ltsnebulous uncertainty were
the educated Socialists. In the cx-
element, however, their "still small
voice" was almost Illshcd. The din
Of battle, rs it were, drowned reason
and hostcd "gIorY' in true Ameri-
can fashion, ,,itill, the workingmen
stood firm, as they supposed, to their
platform. Among Now York's or
ganIzcd workers area large number
Of active, radical rcrormers, some Of
whom are members not onIy of their
trades unions, but also Of the Social
istic Labor Party. These men, with
untlrlng effort, aud unremitting zeal
for The cause Of labor, We're acknoWl-
edged the most efficient and self
sacrificing among all the host that
battlcd against the corrupt parties.
Henry George, the candidate for
mayor, in u speech after the election
ut Cooper Union, made especial
mention Of these men, aud acknowl-
edged their great services. The
labor movement to them was more
than d mere cXaltation of II few
prominent individuals, aud they hes
itatod not to define Their position in
the light Of history and science.
They declared the object Of the po-
lltICal Labor movement to be the
ABOLITION or TIE WAGE-SYSTEM,
while at the same time they put forth
constructive plank upon which
they placed their hopes in common
with the Knights of Labor and all
modern trades unions, namely the
establishment of a
COOPERATIVE SYSTEM,
which would guarantee to the work
crs the full benefit of their creations.
This included the naturalization of
the land, and all other capital as a
logical sequence.
Meanwhile the result Of fulsome
praise and unstinted worship began
to tell upon the now elevated "lead
ers." They began to hunger for
immediate Success" and they cast
about for means to that end. Just
as in France the radical element
was drowned in the fearful flood of
fearful conservatism, unreasoning,
yet cunning, so did the "leaders" in
| New York oyerwhelm with brute
force, or voice, the representatives